lipped and smiling after working behind closed doors to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. >> did you make progress today, sir? >> reporter: he and senate majority leader harry reid are working on a scaled-down agreement that focuses on a middle class tax hike on to prevent it. and house speaker john boehner was at the capitol and left with no comment. both sides remain at odds over the democrat's insistence the wealthy pay more in taxes. >> the president's tax hike would only fund the government for eight days. what and the president propose to do the other 357 days of the year? >> reporter: president obama insists his plan on the table is fair and includes plenty of cuts to government spending. >> we can't ford a politically self-inflict wound to the economy. if they don't pan out, he is ready to plomyself -- propose his own tax bill. patience is wearing thin. >> for those of us investing in the stock market, it's disgusting to watch them jockey around with our money. >> reporter: missing in all the last-minute northbounds is talks about the $1.2 trillion mandatory spending cuts sch